Making a Murderer Reddit sleuths may have cracked the Avery case wide open

Making a Murderer lawyers — and unlikely heartthrobs — Jerry Buting and Dean Strang were obviously on top of their game during the Steven Avery trial, but the attorneys had the chips stacked against them in the form of the Manitowoc County authorities and could have definitely used some help.

Now, they are getting that much-needed assistance in the form of Internet sleuths — and Buting says the evidence being uncovered could even make a huge difference for Avery if his case moves forward with an appeal.

"We were only two minds. What I'm discovering is that a million minds are better than two," Buting recently told Rolling Stone magazine. "Because some of these people online have found things with a screen shot of a picture that we missed."

The people Buting is referencing are the infamous Reddit army and other Internet sleuths, and the picture he speaks of is the photo of Teresa Halbach standing in front of her Rav 4 holding her camera made public by Making a Murderer.

Image: Netflix

In the photo, Redditors noticed that, in addition to her camera equipment, Halbach is also clutching a set of keys in her hand that looks much different than the key ring that was allegedly found in the home of Avery by former Manitowoc County detective James Lenk.

The evidence used against Avery recovered by Lenk was a blue strap connected to a single car key.

The photo of Halbach in front of her car appears to show her holding a key ring that holds more than one key.

Image: Netflix

"I've looked at that picture a thousand times," Buting said to Rolling Stone. "Those other keys were never recovered. Instead we found this single key. Now, we did challenge that, how unusual it was for her to be walking around with one key, but I don't think I caught the fact that there was a photograph showing that what she really carried around was a bunch of keys, and none of those keys were ever found."

The discovery is so monumental that it — along with other evidence uncovered by Internet detectives — may even make it to court if Avery's case is retried, according to Buting.

"These kinds of new facts that a million minds have collectively come up with might be addressed and presented to a new jury."